Slider locking stop



May 23, 1933.

G. E. PRENTICE SLIDER LOCKING STOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1952 In verz tar;

May 23, 1933. G. E. PRENTICE I SLIDER LOCKING STOP Filed Jan. 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE E. PRENTICE, OF BERLIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO G. E. PRENT'ICE MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT' smnna LOCKING sror Application filed January 6, 1932. Serial N0. 584,998.

This invention concerns fasteners of the slider actuated type and relates more particularly to means for retaining or looking the slider to prevent it from accidentally crawling along the series of fastener elements during use. In the copending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 584,998 filed by Robert C. Legat of even date herewith, said application having matured into Patent No. 1,889,337, dated November 29, 1932, there is disclosed a novel and useful form of slider retaining means in which the end stop (which normally functions solely to limit movement of the slider in the gap closing direction) is so constructed as to perform the further function of looking or retaining the slider at such limit of its movement. This general type of retaining means possesses manifest advantages over prior constructions. Among such advantages may be mentionedits permissive use with any slider, whether the latter be furnished with a pulldevice or not, so that when minimum thickness of the slider in the front to rear direction is a desideratum as, for example, when the fastener is used on an undergarment, the "slider need have no projections or protuberances beyond. the planes of the outer faces of its front and rear wings for cooperation with, or for use in actuating the retaining means ;the end stop as a retaining means is wholly automatic in function and requires no special manipulation or care in bringing it into operation its presence does not substantially detract from the appearance of the fastener; and it may be applied without undue increase in the cost of production of the fastener, and, being devoid of springs or other delicate moving parts, it is substantially indestructible.

While the retaining means specifically described in said Legat application is highly desirable and commercially useful in view of the advantages above pointed out, it does add slightly to the lateral width of the fastener at the end of the gap, and is clearly visible at the rear side of the stringer, and

for some purposes this increase in width of the rigid or metallic parts at a-point near the end of the gan. or the visibility of a substantial portion of the stop member when the slider is in gap-closing position may not be desirable.

Among the objects of my present invention are to provide a combined end stop and slider retaining means of .improved construction which does not substantially exceed the lateral width ofusual stops, and which is substantially concealed from view when the slider is at the end of its travel in the gap-closing direction; a further object is to provide retaining means of the class described which will produce a distinct snap or click as its locking action becomes effective so as to apprise the user that he has moved the slider to an extent sufiicient to lock it; another object is to provide retaining meansof this kind which is highly effective for the purpose and which shows substantially no tendency to release the slider in response to repeated stress during use; which is automatic in its action; and which does not to any substantial extent interfere with the purposeful manual movement of the .slider. A

In the accompanying drawings I have 'illustrated by way of example one desirable embodiment of means whereby the above objects are certainly and readily obtained, it being understood that said drawings are by way of example, and as indicative of the underlying principle of the invention, and are not intended to limit its scope as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a fastener provided with my improved slider retaining means, showing the slider at the end of its gap-closing travel,the retaining means being wholly concealed from view; F

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1,.but showing the rear side of the fastener with its actuating slider;

making my improved stop device;

Fig. 51s a side elevation of a stop device made by folding the blank of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section through the slider, showing my improved stop device as partially entered within the slider channels and with the parts in the relative position which they occupy at the initiation of the locking action;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the relative position of the parts when the locking action has been accomplished;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 5, but showing a slightly modified and preferred form of stop;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 show: ing the modified and preferred form of stop associated with the slider and in the locking position; and

Figs. 11 to 15 are diagrammatic sectional views, to larger scale, illustrative of the supposed principle of operation of the improved stop device.

Referring to the drawings, the improved stop device is disclosed as applied to a fastener of usual construction comprising the stringers 1 and 2 which may .be made of flexible material as is usual, and preferably provided with beaded edges 3 and 4 respectively. To these beaded edges the opposed series 6 and 7 of fastener units are secured, such units being adapted to be moved into and out of engagement by means of the slider 5. This slider may be of any usual type, and as here shown comprises the front wall 8 and the rear wall 9 united by a neck portion 10 which may be of any preferred construction but preferably such as shown in my copending application for patent Serial No. 562,518

filed September 12, 1931, such construction providing a very rigid slider. As is usual, the front and rear wings are provided with inturned flange members providing lateral guide walls for the opposed series of fastener elements. Thus, as indicated in Fig. 7, the rear wall for example of the slider has flange members each comprising the inclined upper part 11, the parts 11 converging downwardlv from the upper end of the slider and at t e intermediate points 13 joining the lower flange parts 12, respectively, such parts 12 being substantially parallel with each other and with the length of the fastener, as is usual. The neck portion 10 constitutes adivider member, preferably being of more or less wedge shape with the apex of the wedge pointing downwardly, and this divider member, with the lateral guide walls or flanges, defines the convergent guide channels 14 and 15 which receive the opposed series of fastener elements, all substantially as is usual in fasteners of this type.

In accordance with the present invention I provide novel end stop members 16, one of such stop members being secured to each stringer adjacent to the end of the respective series of fastener elements. Preferably my new end stop is made of sheet material and may conveniently be formed from a blank 17 such as shown in Fig. 4. This blank is folded longitudinally, substantially on the broken line 18 (Fig. 4) into more or less U- shape, as shown in Fig. 6, thus providin the spaced leg members 19 and 20 connected y a rounded bend (Fig.6) defining the inner edge 21 of the stop. The space between the leg members 19 and 20 constitutes a pocket for the reception of the beaded edge of the stringer, and the leg members 19 and 20 are compressed against the stringer so as securely to anchor the stop in position with its egge 21 substantially parallel to the stringer e ge.

In accordance with the present invention the blank 17 is so shaped that after folding, the stop member is of substantially the shape inside elevation shown in Fig. 5. While the inner edge 21 of the stop is substantially straight, the stop is widest at its upper end 22 and is narrowest at the point 23 which is intermediate its ends, the lower end 24 of the stop being somewhat wider than this intermediate part.

From its upper end, the upper part 25 ofv the outer edge of the stop, which constitutes a guide surface or cam, inclines downwardly and inwardly toward the. edge 21, and from the point 23 the lower part 26 of the outer edge, which constitutes a retaining surface .or cam, inclines downwardly and outwardly to the end 24. Preferably the angle between the cam portions 25 and 26 of the edge of the stop is less than the angle between the cam surfaces 11 and 12 of the lateral guide wall of the slider. The width of the upper end of the stop is such that when the parts are ass'embled, the stops can not pass completely through the slider, the upper ends of the stops engaging the neck or division member 10 of the slider and also engaging the lateral guide walls of the slider so as positively to limit movement of the slider relatively to the stop. On the other hand, the front-to-rear thickness of the stop is such as to permit it freely to enter the slider channel, and its dimensions are such that the stop may enter substantially to the extent indicated in Fig. 15 where its lower end protrudes from the lower end of the slider.

Referring to Fig. 11, the stops at opposite sides of the fastener are shown as partially entered within the slider. For convenience in description and in the claims, reference is made to movement of the stop along the slider channel (although it is usually the slider which actually moves) but the'action is due to relative movement of the parts and is the same whether the slider or the stop is actually moved. As shown in Fig. 11, the stops have not yet engaged the side flange or neck of the slider, but in Fig. 12 where the slider has progressed a little further and the last fastener unit 7 of the right-hand series is just at the lower end of the slider, the cam surface 26 of the right-hand end stop engages 5 the flange member 12 of the slider and the straight edge 21 of the stop is in contact with the neck 9. At this time the last fastener unit of the left-hand series is tipped and is being crowded over the last right-hand unit, the longitudinal stress applied for moving the slider having a large transverse component pressing the lower ends of the stops against the flange members 12. In Fig. 13 the slider is shown as having progressed slightly further, the last right-hand fastener unit 7 having emerged from the slider and the last left-hand unit being just within the slider. The lower end of the right-hand stop is now flush with the lower end of the slider and the transverse crowding of the stringer fabric at the narrow end of the slider results in a lateral pressure of the stops against the opposite lateral flanges of the slider, thus frictionally opposing movement of the slider longitudinally of the series of fastener elements.

In Fig. 14 the right-hand stop is beginning to emerge from the lower end of the slider, it being noted that the inclination of the surface 26 is such that the right-hand lower corner of the stop tends to slide to the right of the plane A-B of the inner surface of flange 12. As soon as the tip end of the cam surface 26 escapes from below the lower end of the flange 12 a longitudinal component of thrust is thus developed, tending to continue the relative movement of the slider and stop in the same direction. Thisforce is accentuto overcome the resistance offered by the advancing ends of the stops as they pass through the narrow end of the slider) consciously or unconsciously exerts more force than during the free movement of the slider along the series of units, and thus as the lower end of the stop emerges from the lower end of the slider, the cumulative effect is, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, suddently to seat the edge 25 of the stop against the side flange 11,

thereby producing a distinct sound or click which serves to apprise the user that the slider has reached the limit of its movement and is now locked in position. When thus positioned, stress applied to the stringer below the end stop and tending to separate the fastener elements, has no effective component tending to regress the slider longitudinally of the fastener elements, the inclination of cam surface 26 opposing such movement, and the slider thus remains indefinitely in gapclosing position until positivelyirioved therefrom by the operator.

The production of the sharp click at the instant that the looking or retaining action becomes effective is of decided advantage,

ated by the fact that the operator (in trying since it notifies the user that he has moved the slider to the necessary extent, but it may be noted that this noise or click is produced without the use of springs or other devices of similar type and that the stop member is of unitary one-piece construction and of the very simplest character.

lVhile the stop may be of the shape shown in Fig. 5 I prefer, as shown in Figs. 9 to 15, to provide the edge 21 of the stop with a recess 31 near its lower end, the recess of one stop receiving the extreme lower end of the other stop whereby to limit the lateral pressure developed between the stops as they move into the lower part of the slider.

While I have herein disclosed certain desirable embodiments of the invention by way of example, I wish it to be understood that the invention is not thereby limited but may be embodied in other specific construction having the same functional utility and advantages, and that changes in shape, size and L relative arrangement of parts may be made and that other materials may be substituted for those hereinabov'e mentioned without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 7 1. A separable fastener comprising in combination flexible stringers carrying opposed series of inter-engageable fastener elements, an actuating slider movable longitudinally of the series for bringing the fastener elements of the opposed series into operative engagement, the slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of fastener elements, and a stop secured to one of the stringers in a position to limit fastener closing movement of the slider, said stop being of such dimensions as to permit it to enter one of the convergent channels, of the slider, and being widest adjacent to its upper end, tapering in width to a point intermediate its ends, and again flaring in width below said intermediate point.

2. A separable fastener comprising in combination flexible stringers carrying opposed series in interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed serles of fastener elements, and a stop secured to one of the stringers adjacent to that end of the series of fastener elements toward which the slider moves in closing the fastener, said stop being of such dimensions as to permit it to enter one of the convergent channels of the slider and tapering in transverse width from ,its opposite ends toward an intermediate point.

3. A separable fastener comprising in combination flexible stringers carrying opposed series-of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral gide walls defining con- .moves in closing'the fastener, said stop being of such dimensions as to permit it to enter completely within one of the convergent channels and tapering in transverse width from one of its ends at least toward an intermediate point, the length of the stop being such that its advancing end projects from the lower end of the slider when the slider is at the limit of its movement.

4. separable fastener comprising in combination flexible stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of fastener elements, and a slider limiting stop secured to one of the stringers, said stop being of such dimensions as to permit it to enter one of the convergent channels, the outer edge of said stop comprising substantially straight portions forming the sides of a reentrant anglewhoseapex is at a point intermediate the ends of the stop.

5. separable fastener comprising in com-' bination stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member, and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of fastener elements, a slider limiting stop secured to one of the stringers, said stop being elongate in the direction of slider movement and of such dimensions as to permit its advancing end to enter and pass completely through one of the convergent channels, said stop being operative temporarily to retain the slider at the limit of its gap closing movement and being constructed and arranged to strike a sharp blow against the slider as its advancing end emerges from the slider channel.

6. A separable fastener comprising in combination flexible stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastenerelements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls definingconvergent channels for the opposed series of fastener elements, aif'slider limiting stop secured to one of the stringers, said stop being of such dimensions as to permit it to enter one ,of the convergent channels and having an inclined guide surface positioned to engage the lateral guide wall of the slider to acilitate entry of the stop into the slider channel and a second slider engaging surface on said stop which comes into engagement with the slider as the latter reaches the llmit to its movement, said engaging surfaces being so disposed and arranged that, when in contact at the limit of movement of the sllder, separating stress applied in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the stringer combination into and out of engagement, and a pair of opposed stops secured respectively to the opposite stringers, the lower portions of the stops being narrower transversely than their upper parts and being of such shape as to oppose frictional resistance to their passage through the slider, but being of such length as to escape from the lower end of the slider before the latter reaches the end of its travel whereby suddenly to cease their resistance and thereby to permit the upper parts of the stops to seat suddenly against the slider walls.

8. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carrying opposing series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider for moving the elements of the opposed series into and out of engagement, and. a pair of opposed stops secured respectively to the opposite stringers, the stops being of such length that when their upper ends are seated within the slider their lower ends protrude from the lower end of the slider.

9. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of fastener elements, and a slider limiting stop secured to one of the stringers, said stop being of such dimensons as to permit it to enter one of the convergent channels, the stop having a cam element on its edge positioned to engage the lower end of one lateral guide wall of the slider when the latter is at the limit of its travel in the gap-closing direction, said cam element being so disposed and arranged that separating stress applied to the stringer perpendicular to the edge of the latter 1s devoid of any effective component tending to regress the slider longitudinally from such limit of gap-closing travel.

10. A separable fastener comprislng 1n stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of fastener elements, and a slider limiting stop secured to one of the stringers, the outer edge of said stop having upper and lower cam portions which diverge outwardly from a point intermediate its ends, the dimensions of the stop being such that said upper and lower cam portions simultaneously enga e the inner surface of one of the lateral guide walls of the slider at spaced points when the slider is at the limit of its movement in the gap-closing direction.

11. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the o posed series of fastener elements, and a sli er limiting stop secured to one of the stringers, said stop being of such dimensions as to permit it to enter one of the convergent channels, the stop having cam surfaces on its edge complemental to the inner surfaces of the lateral guide walls of the slider and positioned to cooperate with n such lateral guide walls when the slider is at the limit of its gap-closing travel, to oppose regress of the slider from said limit of movement. Y Y

12. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastener elements, an

actuating slider comprising a' divider mem-' her and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of fastener elements, and a slider limiting stop secured to one of the stringers, said stop being of such dimensions as to permit it to enter one of the convergent channels, the stop having divergent lateral surfaces constituting cam elements, the lateral guide walls of the slider also including divergent surfaces cooperable with those of the stop, the divergent surfaces of the stop and slider being disposed at such angles as substantially to neutralize any tendency of the slider to regress from the limit of its gap-closing travel when the strin er is subjected to separating-stress substantially perpendicular to its edge.

13. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carrying opposing series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider mem her and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of the fastener elements, the lower parts of the opposite guide walls of the slider being substantially parallelto the length of the fastener, and a stop secured to one of the stringers, said stop being of a size and shape permitting it to enter one of the convergent channels of the slider, the lower part of the outer edge of the stop engaging the inner surface of the lower end of the lateral guide wall of the s1ider and inclining downwardly and outwardly with respect to the lower part of the lateral guide wall of the slider when the slider is at thelimit of its gap-closing travel whereby to prevent accidental regress of the slider longitudinally of the fastener element.

14. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carrying opposing series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of fastener elements, and a slider limiting stop secured to one of the stringers, said stop having an outer lateral edge whose lower part diverges outwardly away from the inner edge of the stop, said outwardly divergent portion of the edge of the stop engaging the lower part only of the lateral guide wall of the slider when the slider is at the limit of its gap-closing travel, such lower part of the slider guide wall being disposed at'a lesser angle relatively to the edge of the stringer than the angle between said divergent edge of the stop and the edge of the stringer so that separating stress applied to the stringer in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the stringer, when the slider is at the limit of its closing movement, is devoid of any effective component tending to regress the slider longitudinally of the stop.

15. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carryingopposing series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series-of fastener elements, said lateral guide walls of the slider inclining downwardly and inwardly from the upper part of the slider to an intermediate point and then abruptly continuing in substantially parallel relation to the lower end of the slider, and a .pair of opposed stops secured respectively to the opposite stringers and adapted to enter the convergent slider channels, the combined width of the advancing ends of said stops being such that the stops appreciably oppose passage through such intermediate point in the slider, the combined width of the stops at a point to the rear of their advancing ends being less than at their advancing ends so that the stops cease such opposition as the advancing ends of the stops emerge from the lower end of the slider.

16. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carrying opposing series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of the fastener elements, and slider limiting stops each secured to one of the stringers, respectively, each stop having an outer edge comprising upper and lower parts which meet in a reentrant angle said upper and lower parts cooperating with the inner surfaces of the lateral guide walls of the slider to limit movement of the slider.

17. A separable fastener comprising in combination stringers carrying opposing series of interengageable fastener elements, an actuating slider comprising a divider member and lateral guide walls defining convergent channels for the opposed series of the fastener elements, each lateral guide wall comprising upper and lower parts which are inclined relatively to each other and slider limiting stops each secured to one of the stringers, respectively, said stops each having outer edges comprlsing parts which areineach secured to one of the stringers, respectively, each stop being shaped and dimensioned to enter one of the convergent guide channels, respectively, and having a lateral cam surface engageable with one of the lateral guide walls, respectively, of the slider, such cam surface comprising outwardly divergent inclined portions, the lower one of said inclined portions engaging the lower,

edge of said guide wall as the slider nears the end of its closing movement and projecting downwardly below the end of said guide wall thereby developing a component of force tending to complete the slider movement.

19. An end stop for fasteners of the kind having opposed series of fastener elements and a slider for moving the elements of the opposed series into operativeengagement,

' said stop comprising a piece of sheet material bent substantially to U-shape and adapted to'embrace the edge of a stringer and to be secured thereto, said stop tapering from its upper end toward an intermediate point and then flaring in width from said intermediate point to its lower end, the parts being of such dimensions that the lower end of the stop protrudes from the lower end of the slider when the latter is at the limit of its travel. I

20. A stop member for use with fasteners of the class described comprising a member having provision for anchoring it to the ed e of a stringer, said member being elongate 1n the direction of the stringer edge, one edge of said stop member bein substantially parallel to the stringer edge ut having a recess at its lower end, and the opposite edge com prisin upper and lower arts which incline mwar y from the opposite ends of the stop member.

21. A stop member for fasteners of the class described wherein a series of fastener elements is carried by each of a pair of flexible stringers, said stop comprising a piece of materialhaving provision for attaching it to the edge of one of the stringers, that edge of the stop which is most remote from the free edge of the opposite stringer inclining inwardly from one end to an intermediate point and then inclining outwardly from said point toward its other end.

22. An end stop for fasteners of the class described comprising a member having provision for securing it to the edge of a, stringer, one edge of said member being substantially straight and parallel to the edge of the stringer but having a recess at its lower end, the opposite edge of said member inclining inwardly and downwardly from its upper end to a point intermediate its ends and then inclining outwardly and downwardly to the lower end of the stop member.

23. A stop member for fasteners of the class described comprising a U-shaped member providing a pocket in its fold for the reception of a stringer, the folded edge of said U-shaped member being substantially straight and parallel to the edge of the stringer at which it is secured, said folded edge having a recess near one end, said stop being widest at its upper end and tapering in width toward a point intermediate is ends.

24. Stop means operative to limit the fastener closing movement of the actuating slider of a fastener of the kind having opposed series of interengageable fastener elements and a slider movable longitudinally of the series for bringing elements of the opposed series into engaging relation, said stop means comprising a pair of stop members adapted to be anchored to opposed stringers respectively, each stop member being widest adjacent to its upper end and tapering in width to a point intermediate its ends and again flaring in width below said point and each stop member having a projection on its edge and also having a recess in its edge,

' said projection and recess of one stop member being arranged to cooperate with the recess and projection, respectively, of the other stop member.

Signed by me at Berlin, Connecticut, this fourth day of January, 1932.

GEORGE E. PRENTICE. 

